ETON MESS

In honor of the London Olympics, I am interrupting my stream of Istanbul posts to bring you the easiest, yummiest dessert from the UK--you will love!  Really, the easiest dessert on the planet.

Had this for the first time at the Carriage House, the restaurant at Chatsworth (more on that, soon). You can, of course, go ahead and make the meringues yourself, but it is so much easier to use pre-baked meringues and not heat up your kitchen in August.

Strawberries, cleaned, hulled and chopped
Sugar to taste
Meringue cookies from Trader Joe's
1 cup of heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Clean and chop strawberries, add sugar.  Let sit for at least an hour.

Beat cream until stiff, then add vanilla and powdered sugar.  Whip until blended.

Layer in individual cups: one broken meringue cookie, strawberries, whipped cream. Then layer again. The end.